O Grande Massacre

A travesty of a film, and one in which the usually competent Philip Carey and Joseph Cotton disappoint, though at least the latter can have claimed he was playing an often-drunken Major Reno. Darren McGavin stomps and jerks around as "Captain Bill Benton", so-called presumably because there is little relation with the real-life Captain Benteen. "Benton" is hazed by Reno, is keen on his daughter, strikes Custer, is captured/rescued by the Indians on his way to court-martial, is rescued again (this time by the cavalry), rides to warn Custer of the Indians' strength and is reinstated to lead his men at the fateful battle.

Individuals change their characters as the film progresses: Custer switches from idealism and anger at governmental corruption to political ambition; Reno evolves from drunk to semi-hero, in between resenting command of the 7th being offered to Benton (both then becoming self-deprecatory about their ability to lead); and the scout Dakota suddenly switches from hating and killing Indians to saving them (and when he deserts he is shot making a mad dash from the cavalry bivouac rather than slip away when scouting ahead of the column). Some of the minor actors appear to be waiting for cues or direction, and riders shot off their horses fall to the ground as safely as possible. Often the dialogue is artificial: "I shall see you trouble my existence no longer," rasps Custer to Reno at one point.

The film starts and finishes with the sort of completely unrealistic military court hearing that mars several Westerns; in this case the evidence comes entirely from Benton, with no other witnesses being called.

The Battle of the Little Big Horn isn't too bad but apparently the footage was borrowed from "Sitting Bull" made ten years earlier. Certainly when the main characters are on screen they appear to be accompanied by only a handful of men.

By 1965 Hollywood should have been able to do better than this.

I have witnessed some hilariously awful cinematic travesties in my day but this vehicle from 1965 is a marker for all past and future 'turkeys'. Take a decorated Civil war calvary officer whose victories captured the attention of the nation as he led his gallant troopers to one dramatic victory after another and culminated with his being awarded the very table that Lee signed the papers of surrender on. General Sheridan told Custer's wife that no man deserved it more, and if you read the statistics on his record number of captured enemy flags and valiant leadership and repeated charges into the teeth of battle you shouldn't disagree. This shoddy and shockingly hackneyed 'movie' has him as an empty and vile sort of stupid character who changes his convictions at a moments whim. This is propaganda anti-Custer nonsense at its worst, except that thankfully none of it can be taken seriously due to the awful quality of this thing. Acting and direction skills flew very south when they pieced this thing together. Say what you will about historical inaccuracies concerning the great Erroll Flynn's portrayal of Custer in "They Died With Their Boots On", but his was closest to the heart and soul of the man. Avoid this travesty and wonder how they got a distributor. P.S.- Laugh check. Joseph Cotton was born in 1905. He was 60 (and looking older) when he did this movie intending I believe, to portray someone who would have to have been at the most, in his late 30's to early 40's. but don't let that stop you.

About the only redeeming quality is Joseph Cotton and, in this instance, that is not saying a lot.

But what really gets me is: About 30-40 minutes of this film is footage from another western made 11 years earlier--"Sitting Bull (1954)." In this movie, the Indians ride down on Custer from what could be northern California Sierra Nevada's or even somewhere in South Dakota while the 7th cavalry is riding through the arroyo's of southern New Mexico or western Arizona and they combine the footage from both films to make it look like they are fighting one another. The footage from Sitting Bull is also used in many things such as the escape from the stockade by the Indians and also various scenes when the Indians are shot and fall off their horses. One Indian, for instance, falls off his horse and practically rolls right into the camera on Sitting Bull and that same Indian, on the same horse, falls off again in this movie and practically rolls right into the camera. I have them on video back to back and am able to view them so it makes it really easy to detect the same scenes from the earlier movie being used.

It's cheap and shoddy!

First, I'll simply echo everyone who has already ripped into this poorly made film. I would like to point out two examples of the many things wrong historically about it.

For one small thing, a previous reviewer gave credit for the many references to 'Colonel' Custer in the film. However, that is actually an inaccuracy. After the Civil War, Custer, as did most high-ranking officers who remained in the army, reverted from his temporary rank of Major General of Volunteers to his permanent Regular US Army rank of Lieutenant Colonel. This rank actually made him second in command of the 7th Cavalry, but since the regiment's colonel remained in Washington DC, Custer retained operational field command of the 7th. He is, however, shown wearing the eagle shoulder epaulets of a full colonel, not the silver oak leaves of a lieutenant colonel. Nice try, but 'Fail' nonetheless.

For the most egregious big thing, Reno is supposed to be a bitter ex- Confederate Major General with a daughter who acts as the love interest for Captain Benton/(Benteen). In fact, Reno had been a Union brevet brigadier general with a decent combat record during the Civil War. Benteen was actually a Virginian by birth who remained loyal to the Union, earned an excellent combat record and was a temporary colonel who reverted to his permanent rank of captain at war's end. He also was married, but most certainly not to a daughter of Marcus Reno, who was actually the same age as Benteen!

That should be enough for anyone to dismiss this film as anything remotely resembling 'history'.

Watch the final battle scenes at the end of this film-- if you can tolerate laughably bad acting and directing. If the Sioux had been as inefficient as depicted, Custer MIGHT have become president!

BfD